Date Ideas

Monday-Wednesday at 9:30 pm all summer long (beginning June 23)
Enjoy your summer staycation even more at AMC, with big movies back on the big screen for only $3, Monday-Wednesday at 9:30pm. Check showtimes for participating theatres in your area.

When I drove up to Shelly’s door there was an envelope on the passenger seat. She opened it up and it read, “Dear Shelly, these are the rules of our game. Throughout the night you will find riddles written in cards in envelopes just like this one. The answers all have to do with your favorite things. If you guess them correctly, you get a prize.”

Thus the game was afoot.

***

The First Clue

We went to the Century City Mall and sat down at a Brazilian restaurant for dinner. The server brought our menus and Shelly and I talked about what we wanted to get. It was our first real date and I was kind of nervous. The game would keep my mind off my nerves and in being slick. I waited for her to lift her menu to look at the food choices for the last time and then slid the envelope under then menu as she closed it and set it down on the table. “So what movie do you want to see?” I asked,“Let’s see Up! I heard it was very good.”“That’s what I heard too, sounds like a good plan.”The waiter returned and we placed our order.“Thank you. Let me take your menus… and your food will be here shortly.”Shelly thanked the waiter as he walked away, then looked at me.“Did you have a good day?” I asked her. “Yes.” Our conversation continued for a little while until she reached for her napkin. She looked at me and smiled. She opened the envelope:

“The king of the Sea likes his weapon, it is red and hot, if you make him angry he won’t kill you but he might just chew you out.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know what it is,” said Shelly, “give me a clue?”“Nope. The clue is in the riddle.”“Hmmm. King of the Sea is Neptune… his weapon is that big fork… A Trident! Trident Gum!”“What flavor?”“Cinnamon!!!!”

I reach into my pocket and handed her a pack of cinnamon Trident gum, complete with Xylitol (which is the reason she chewses it).

***

Now if you think I’m going to tell you in detail how the rest of the game went, you will be disappointed. I posted this to give some of you procrastinators a last minute date idea for your honeys. And I did make it up at the last minute. I scrambled to different stores and shops for all her little favorite things, it cost me no more than $10 for all the prizes. The most expensive prize was a glass of bubble tea drink which I saved for last so she could enjoy it during the movie along with all her other favorite snacks. Well, since I mentioned it, I’ll tell you about that one.

Shelly and I got to the movie theater with a pocketful of prizes, we didn’t need to go to the snack bar. We walked up the stairs to our seats, I got her attention and pointed to some obviously saved seats down the row we were standing next to, “How about here?” I asked. “No, they look saved.” Before she could turn back to look where she was walking, I reached around behind her and flicked the next envelope up the stairs. Years of ultimate frisbee in college finally paid off, who knew that it would help me win over the heart of my future wife? She picked up the clue.

“ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS _____, what comes next is the last clue, it’s amber, not blue, and in chinese it means ‘boobs’.”

“No way! Honey green tea boba?!”

I pulled the drink out of my dress coat pocket. I bought it last, just before picking her up. I ordered it extra strong, with extra ice so it would last two to three hours before being consumed. Throughout the night, I was very careful to keep the bulge in my pocket out of her sight: I took my jacket off and hung it on the back of my chair, I kept her on the opposite side of the pocket containing the cold drink, or I would move it to the other pocket if needed. I’m just glad she didn’t get cold, or my plan would have been foiled.

The main idea is this. It’s a game of speed, wits and strength (a nod to Fezzik, Inigo and Vizzini). Speed, sleight of hand to be able to hide, and present the envelopes. Wit to come up with the riddles so that your date will not only get the answers, they will also be entertained by the wording. Then strength, yes, strength; the strength of will to be patient and not give things away, keeping a game face; strength to be able to hold a icy icy cold drink by your hip for 3 hours without flinching. You’ll need more strength if you plan on giving her a puppy.

You need to know some of your date’s favorite things, for example: candy bar, flavor of gum, snack, flower, drink, food. Personalize it! Use your environment, use your friends. If you know the waiters and want them to get in on your game, do it. If you don’t know them, tip them extra. Waiters, ushers, valet, her mom, let them give her an envelope when she least expects it. Imagine a long time relationship, you go to her parents’ house for a get together after your date. A night of playing the game, she thinks it’s over, then you walk up to her parents’ door and ring the bell. Her parents open the door and her mom hands her an envelope. She reads the riddle, turns around and you are on one knee…

Me and Shelly at Marytown

Happy day before Valentine’s Day everyone! Celebrate éros with a whole lot of fun and respect and you will get philía, agápe, and storgé for the rest of your life.